Tax man on bribery charge

Jone Vula tries to hide his face from the camera outside the courthouse in Suva yesterday. Picture: JONACANI LALAKOBAU

A Fiji Islands Revenue and Customs Authority employee was produced in court yesterday to answer to a $500 bribery allegation.

Jone Vula appeared before Magistrate Makereta Mua by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption officers on allegations that he had accepted an advantage when performing his duty as a tax investigator.

It was alleged that the accused when investigating business tax returns had accepted $500 from a Ritesh Kumar who was trading as Tanoa Kava Dealers and Spices.

FICAC lawyer Frances Puleiwai informed the court they would need some time to serve the first phase disclosures to the accused.

Two sureties were produced before the court and they both signed the surety bond of $2000 each.

The accused was told to report to the FICAC office every Thursday from 8.30am to 4pm, was warned not to reoffend, not to interfere with witnesses and not to move away from his current address.

The matter had been adjourned to check on the first phase disclosures.